Kathy Kemp: Foundry Rescue Mission in Bessemer gets touch of home

It's starting to feel like home at the Foundry Rescue Mission and Recovery Center in Bessemer.

That's because a handful of caring decorators and designers have turned the Foundry's four-story women's dormitory into an oasis of comfortable bedding, soothing lamp light and original artwork -- like a boutique hotel room with multiple beds.

"I asked God what we could do to create a loving and nurturing environment -- one that wouldn't feel like an institution, but like a home," says Michele Heintz, director of women's ministries and wife of Executive Director Bill Heintz.

She said the Lord shared his vision with her -- that each floor have a theme, and that other people, volunteers, get involved in the renovation. The idea, Heintz says, is "to minister to the spirit, soul and body."

You can check out the results today from 2 to 4 p.m. during an open-house celebration at the dormitory, 1801 Fifth Ave. North, Bessemer. More than 50 residents and their families will be there to show off the place, along with the designers and artists, including Pandy Agnew, Betty K. Freeman, Lisa Opielinski, Peggy Green Tilly, Cassie Clayton, Lila Graves, Gina Hurry, Lee Wilson and designers from Ellen Mayer Interiors.

"Our ladies' faces just lit up when they saw the transformation," says Leslie Freeman, the Foundry's director of development. Each of the four floors has a theme -- arts and music, angels, nature and sheep. Bible verses are used throughout, following the mission's focus on Christ-centered programs.

The artists and designers donated their time, although the Foundry raised $5,000 per floor to cover furniture, bedding, paint and other supplies. Decorator Pandy Agnew, co-owner of The Good Life off Rocky Ridge Road, said it made her happy to work for such appreciative clients. "It makes me feel so good to know something I did made them smile."

The 52 women in the nine-month residential recovery program are, typically, at rock bottom from substance abuse when they reach the Foundry. Same story for the men, many of whom are reentering society after a stay in prison.

"By the time they get to us, they've burned every bridge and lost everything -- homes, jobs, families, kids," Freeman says. "A lot of them would be homeless if they weren't here. We're all about restoration -- restoring their lives and their dignity."

Having a nice home goes a long way toward doing just that.

What once was a plain, almost shell of a building is now truly beautiful, thanks to love and tender care from others. The women who live there are trying hard to turn their lives from empty shells into something with meaning and purpose.

"A lot of times, our residents feel guilt and shame about what they've done," Freeman says. "They feel unworthy. What we're trying to do is tell them they are worthy. This dormitory says, 'You deserve a nice place to live.'"